Means for simultaneously writing a plurality of signatures or inscriptions.



A2 BEEETSFSHBET 1 PATENTBD JULY 30, 1907.

W. R. WODWARD.

0R INSCRIPTIONS.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JULY 31. 1905.

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MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY WRITING A PLURALITY 0F SIGNATURES l l JL 1HE Nimm: PETERS co AsHmGroN D c PAI'BNTED JULY 30, 1907.

y. No. 861

. W. R. WooDWARD. MEANS POR SI'MULTANEOUSLY 'WRITING-A. -PLURALITY 0F SIGNATURESv 0R INSCRIPTIONS. APPLIOATION'HLED JULY s1. mori.v

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1HE NoRms PETERS ce.. wAsmNaraN, n. c.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEieE.

WILLIAM R. WOODWARD, OF NEWYORK, N. Y.

MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY WRITING A PLURALITY OF SIGNATURES OR INSCRIPTIONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 190'7.l

Application filed July 31,1905. Serial No. 271,886.

tilicates, bonds or coupons, or any documents requir-l ing signature.

The object of my invention is to obviate the necessity of signing large numbers of suclrpapers singly. t, Heretofore, it has been necessary for the proper oflicer tosign stock certificates, checks, or other papers separately. Where there are a great number of these papers to be signed, as in transfers, dividend payments, &c., it is obvious that considerable time and labor are involved.

My invention largely economizes both labor and 4 time, 'as it enables the oflicer to sign` the papers in groups of ten, twenty, fifty o1' even more at one operation.

To clearly illustrate an apparatus embodying my invention, I shall describe the same in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference are used to indicate the same part in the various views, and in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of the complete apparatus. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same with one of the feed rollers removed, and Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the same taken on the line IV-IV, of Fig. l.

Referring now more specifically to said drawings, l0, ll and l2 indicate the main frame or bed-plate, of suitable metal, supported by the legs 13. Slots 14 and l5 are provided at the front and rear of the bed-plate, and in these slots the carriage 16 rolls upon its ball bearings 17 and 18, under the control of the pantographie links 19, 20 and 2l, 22. These links are pivotally con` nected at 23, 24 and 25, 26, to the portions ll, l2 of the bed-plate, and at 27, 28 to the carriage I6. The carriage I6 consists preferably of a skeleton frame of two or more longitudinal bars lG (three are shown in the drawings) rigidly secured together by suitable transverse bars I6, two of which are shown in the drawings rigidly secured to the ends of the longitudinal bars.

The carriage 16 has longitudinally adjustable thereon, a number of hangers 29 which have bearings for and support a plurality of rock-shafts 30 having longi tudinal grooves 3l and carrying pen grips 32 which are laterally adjustable on the shafts 30 by means of set screws 33 engaging the grooves 3l. These pen grips 32 have clamped in them the fountain pens (or indelible pencils) 34, as most clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The carriage 1G is operated by a handle 35 rigidly secured thereto by an upwardly projecting right angle connection 36, and this handle has a pen or pencil 37 as a guide to assist the operator. Pivoted .upon the handle 35 is a bell-crank lever 39 which is under the tension of a spring 39 and is pivotally connected with and adapted to reciprocate a notched bar 40, extending longitudinally beneath the carriage 1G, andabove bed l0.

Each of the rock-shafts 30 has keyed to it a depending rock-arm 4l provided with a laterally projecting pin 4l, (see Fig. 4) which is adapted to engage one of the notches of bar 40, said bar 40 being supported upon said pins 41a. The longitudinal movement of notched bar 40, under the action of bell-crank lever 39 will simultaneously rock all of the shafts 30 in their bearings and cause the pens 34 to bel elevated or depressed in unison. The bar40 is notched from end to end to permit of the adjustment of the pen carrying rock-shafts 30, said shafts being adjustable toward or away from each other, longitudinally of the carriage IG, to position the rows olpens closer together or farther apart. The individual pens are also adjustable transversely of the carriage to position the columns of pens closer together or farther apart as may be necessary. The spring tension on the bell crank 39 tends to hold the pens in elevatedposition when not `under control.

The papers to be signed, may be fed to the machine in any suitable manner, by hand, or on a ribbon 42 Y:

carried by a roller 43 which has its axis 44 journaled in front and rear brackets 45 and 46 suitably secured to the bed-plate l0. The ribbon is drawn off at` the discharge side of the table between two rollers 47 and 48 suitably journaled in front and rear brackets 49 and 50, on the frame. These rollers 47 and 48 have at their front ends the gears 5l and 52 which are in mesh with each other. Fixed upon the front bracket 49 is a stud 53 which carries a gear 54 meshing with the gear V5l, and an operating crank 55 for rotating the gear 54. The operating crank 55 has pivoted thereon detent 56 under the tension of a spring 57 and one of its arms is adapted to be moved by the spring pressure into a re-v cessed portion or' the retaining collar 58 of the stud 53 to hold the operating crank against rotation. ABy depressing the other arm of the detent against the spring tension, the crank is released for rotating the gear 54, and thusJ drawing off afresh group of papers for signing.

It is understood that this drawing (Fig. l.) represents but a ioreshortened view-as for the sake of clearness several rows of pens have been omitted. Also that many changes in details of construction may be made 

